DATE: February 1998
COMPANY: WWF Magazine
AUTHOR: Lou Gianfriddo

Ever since she manhandled Marlena, director of former Intercontinental Champion Goldust, on RAW IS WAR, Chyna—the massively muscled advisor to Hunter Hearst-Helmsley—has been caught in the public’s eye It seems as if everyone wants to know about her and with good reason.

No woman has ever made such an impact on the World Wrestling Federation as Chyna has. Sure, Elizabeth—who was once married to and the manager of multi-time Federation kingpin Macho Man Randy Savage—warranted great attention in the media, in part because of her managerial expertise, but most because of her pristine, innocent appearance.

Other women have also made a mark in the Federation, but most, if not all, were wrestlers. Everyone knew where they stood in terms of ring combat; they had—and this should not be misconstrued by anyone or any organization—their place: they were athletes. They were brave female athletes who took great pride in their profession. They competed on a nightly basis against some of the most competitive women of their era, and often did so with more intensity than some of their male counterparts.

That all changed when Chyna entered the Federation several months ago, ostensibly as a fan, at first. Few can forget the carnage this huge, athletically built women caused when she initially made her presence felt to the world on Monday Night RAW this past February.

There, seated at ringside, Chyna was taking great interest in the Intercontinental Championship match between Goldust and Hunter Hearst-Helmsley. During the match, however, she extended herself in a way no one ever should. When Marlena drifted near her clutches, Chyna—who weights in at approximately 180 pounds of shredded muscle—reached out and manhandled the cigar-smoking manager in a way that had never been witnessed before. Security guards rushed to the trouble spot and, with much difficulty—due in part to her size and strength—ejected her from the building.

Most people would have learned their lesson, especially after spending time in lockup. But Chyna is different. From what World Wrestling Federation Magazine has discovered, Chyna bonded herself out of jail and promptly drove to the next city where the Federation superstars were scheduled to compete. Then, once again on RAW, Chyna showed the world her mean streak by jumping all barricades…and getting to the petite manager yet again.

This time, Chyna left a lasting impression: her assault was so vicious and unexpected that Hunter Hearst Helmsley had to stand up and take notice. The Greenwich Snob was in the market for a bodyguard and, in his opinion, no one could fit the bill better than this she-beast! Since then, Chyna has catapulted into the spotlight. She has shown that fear is a word and emotion that she does not care to learn. On several occasions, she has stood toe-to-toe with such monolithic Federation superstars as Bret "Hit Man" Hart and even, most recently, with the Undertaker. Moreover, she has even tangled with superstars of the opposite sex during matches in which her man Hunter has competed. For example, she bodyslammed Bart Gunn during his match with Hunter some time ago on RAW IS WAR.

This magazine wanted to know what makes Chyna tick. With that in mind, we did some extensive research into her background. Chyna, we discovered, has been an athlete her entire life. In fact, we learned that her powerlifting exploits are world-renowned. She has officially bench-pressed 320 pounds and has a deadlift in the mid-400 range, all at a bodyweight of 181 pounds. Chyna, we are told, is also a fully licensed female boxer; she’s said to have accomplished this long before Kristy Martin came along.

With so much athletic talent, Chyna then directed her energies to perhaps the most demanding physical challenge of sports: professional wrestling. True, some may scoff at the notion, but it goes without saying that wrestling is one of most taxing endeavors any athlete can undertake. As for Chyna? Well, her natural athletic abilities and power served her well when she appeared at the door, gym bag in hand, of Walter "Killer Kowalski’s" wrestling school in suburban Boston, Massachusetts. From the start, she was one tough—and mean—cookie.

From what we are told, other women (in the wrestling camp) wouldn’t get in the ring with her because she would simply beat the @#$% out of them! But, it got even worse. Knowing her size and ring manner, few—if any—women wanted to competed against Chyna we’re told. It got so bad that Chyna, in an attempt to merely wrestle, took measures to the extreme!

She had to start wrestling "in drag." Wearing a bodysuit and slicking her hair back so that nobody would know she was a woman…she began to wrestle men. One of our sources, who has asked to remain anonymous, told us that not only was this the greatest thrill of Chyna’s career…but that she also broke some of their bones along the way!

From there, Chyna set her sights on the World Wrestling Federation.

"I was looking for someone to watch my back and someone who wasn’t going to back away from anybody," said Hunter Hearst Helmsley. "That was Chyna. She proved to me that she’d take a whack at any man, or woman, regardless of the circumstances! The world has never seen an athlete like her," he goes on. "And I can guarantee that no one ever will!"